# Bills must fix three things before Lions

> Buffalo beat Houston but left plenty of mistakes on the field heading into Thursday night.
- Title: Bills must fix three things before Lions · Buffalo Bills On SI
- Summary: Buffalo beat Houston but left plenty of mistakes on the field heading into Thursday night. The Bills won Week 1 but need to clean up penalties, red zone…
- Keywords: buffalo bills, detroit lions, nfl, week 2, josh allen, james cook, penalties, red zone defense, running game, thursday night football, sports, Bills
- Source: Buffalo Bills On SI — https://si.com/nfl/bills/onsi/week-2-three-things-buffalo-bills-must-improve-vs-detroit-lions
- Published: 2026-09-15T23:26:11+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: buffalo bills, detroit lions, nfl, week 2, josh allen, james cook, penalties, red zone defense, running game, thursday night football, sports
## Bills escape Houston in thriller
Buffalo beat the Texans 36-31 on a late Josh Allen touchdown pass to Joshua Palmer and a crucial defensive stop. It was their first win in Houston since 2006.
## Allen's second win over Texans
Josh Allen has historically struggled against Houston's defense, making this only his second career victory over them.
## Short week before Detroit visit
Buffalo must clean up mistakes quickly with the Lions visiting Thursday night. Three key areas need improvement before the short turnaround.
## Penalties cost Bills 85 yards
Buffalo was flagged 10 times for 85 yards in Week 1, including holding calls on Dion Dawkins and Alec Anderson, and back-to-back ineligible-man-downfield penalties.
## Special teams penalties hurt returns
Sam Franklin Jr. drew a blindside block that erased an eight-yard punt return, while Joe Andreessen's holding negated a 41-yard kick return for Ray Davis.
## Hamlin's penalty extended Texans drive
Damar Hamlin was called for holding on third-and-nine, giving Houston a fresh set of downs instead of forcing a field goal. The Texans scored a touchdown on the drive.
## Red zone defense was vulnerable
Houston converted on their first four red zone opportunities in Week 1, forcing Buffalo into a fourth-quarter comeback. The Bills must improve before facing Detroit.
## Rousseau sealed it with strip-sack
Greg Rousseau recorded a game-sealing strip-sack on Houston's fifth and final red zone trip, showing the Bills can tighten up their defense when it matters.
## Cook rushed for just 57 yards
James Cook, who led the NFL with 1,621 rushing yards last season, managed only 57 yards on 13 attempts against Houston. Buffalo was outgained 124-86 on the ground.
## Houston controlled time of possession
The Texans kept the ball for 36 minutes and 17 seconds by controlling the ground game, even though Buffalo had a better average per carry.
## Gibbs dominated for Detroit
Jahmyr Gibbs had 156 yards, two touchdowns, and 14 first downs in Week 1. Buffalo must establish their own running game to keep the Lions' offense on the sideline.
## Cook must control the offense
If James Cook can pick up chunks of yardage, it opens up the passing game for Josh Allen and keeps Gibbs and the Lions' offense on the sideline.
## Key takeaway

The Bills won Week 1 but need to clean up penalties, red zone defense, and their ground game before facing Detroit's explosive offense.